Agriculture

Tomato Farmers Want Govt To Implement National Policy

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Tomato farmers have sought government protection and the implementation of the approved national policy to tackle the challenges facing tomato production and curb the rising price of the commodity.
 
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting on February 8th, 2017, approved the national policy on tomatoes which aims to protect and attract investments into the market.
 
The policy’s approved measures include the ban on the importation of tomato paste, powder or tomato concentrate for retail sale, an increase in the tariff on tomato concentrate, restriction on the importation of Tomato concentrate to address the abuse of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme.
 
Others were the classification of greenhouse equipment as agricultural equipment to attract import duty, and the inclusion of tomato production, and processing in the list of industries eligible for investment incentives. 

However, at a meeting with the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security Sen Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the President of Tomato Grower’s Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NATPAN), Abdullahi Ringim stated that the policy has not been implemented and non-enforcement has hindered the release of funds for the development of the sector, leading to the inability of the farmers to tackle the pest destroying their produce and also, the increasing cost of transport among others challenges.

Ringim highlighted the economic potential of the tomato commodity to the Nigerian economy, stating full implementation of the tomato policy to protect local investors, granting fertilizer blending licenses and subsidising other inputs, and promoting partnerships with international players will encourage generic breeding of high-breed seeds amongst other benefits.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security Sen Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi assured the tomato farmers of government protection, disclosing plans by the ministry to organise a one-day round table on tomatoes in Nigeria ahead of the planting season to reduce post-harvest losses, enhance productivity and ensure food security.

Abdullahi said the round table will evaluate the national tomato policy for its implementation, stating “Let us not allow the issue of tomato to be used by some to turn us into hungry people, the round table has to happen quickly because the dry season is just around the corner and what happens during the dry season doesn’t just stay with the dry season, rather it gets carried far and beyond into the lean period”. 

He expressed concerns that Nigeria has about 73 million hectares of arable land, “but currently using only about 41 to 43 million, which means we are having close to half of our arable land not being farmed”, the Minister added.

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BADEJO ADEMUYIWA has 23 years experience as a Finance Writer, specialising in Insurance and Investigative Reporting.

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